Severed head of dog found in El Jebel park

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The severed head of a dog was found in Crown Mountain Park in El Jebel on Sunday morning, the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office confirmed.

Little information about the incident was available Sunday evening. A man who would not disclose his name phoned in a tip to The Aspen Times on Sunday afternoon, saying he found the dog’s head about 200 yards east of the tennis courts around 7:20 a.m. and reported it to the Sheriff’s Office.

He described the dog as a chihuahua-miniature pinscher mix but added that the breeds only were a guess. He said the head was black with some brown hair around the ears and that it was not in a state of decomposition.

The man said the head was severed cleanly and there were no other body parts in the vicinity of it. No identifying items, such as a collar or an ID tag, were next to the head, the man said.

“Someone’s missing their dog, and I’d like for them to know about it,” said the man, who added that he reported the sighting to Eagle County Deputy Jason Boston.

Boston could not be reached for comment. Sgt. John Chiodo, of the Sheriff’s Office, said he had no further information and that the case had been turned over to the Eagle County Animal Control Department.

Robert Hubbell, a board member for the Crown Mountain Parks and Recreation District, described the discovery as “just awful.” As a dog owner, he was especially troubled upon hearing the news, he said.

“That’s one of the great things about Crown Mountain Park — how friendly we are to pets,” he said.